Most commonly find in Brazil and China , Tapejaridaeare a family of flyingpterosaursthat be during the Cretaceous point . However , for the first time , a extremity of this family has been uncover a long style from its cousins in the UK .
A small fragment of jaw bone was unearth by a frankfurter - walker in Sandown Bay on the Isle of Wight , England . This toothless fossil was passed on to researchers at the University of Portsmouth , UK , who narrowed its origin down to a rather bizarre pterosaur family , never before see in the nation .
“ Although only a fragment of jaw , it has all the feature of a tapejarid jaw , let in legion petite little holes that carry bit receptive organs for detecting their food for thought , and a downturned , delicately sharpen beak , ” Megan Jacobs , a Paleontology pupil at the University of Portsmouth , said in astatement .
Outside of Brazil and China , tapejarid remains are “ passing rare , ” and “ highly fragmental . ” The new specimen , dubbedWightia declivirostris , joins only a handful of other tapejarid fogy found in Europe , including in Spain . Last twelvemonth , a team from the University of Portsmouth also discovered a standardized specimen in Morocco , known asAfrotapejara , which extend the geographics of this dinosaur .
Although the UK dodo ’s slim shape render it trenchant from previous sample distribution , comparisons with other remains revealed to the researchers that their example was more tight related to to the Taiwanese tapejarids , rather than the Brazilian ones . These other near - complete skeleton and 3D - preserve model can give a greater brainstorm into the family ’s face .
" terminated exercise from Brazil and China show that they had large drumhead crests , with the crest sometime being twice as big as the skull , ” Jacobs explicate . “ The crests were probably used in intimate display and may have been brightly coloured . "
Jacobs and her colleagues ' findings , detail inCretaceous Research , also reference the incrediblefossil bedsof theIsle of Wight , where the specimen was found .
“ This new species total to the diversity of dinosaur and other prehistorical reptiles find on the Island , which is now one of the most important places for Cretaceous dinosaurs in the world , ” Professor David Martill , study co - author from the University of Portsmouth , said .
The fossil has been donated to a localdinosaur museum , where it will hopefully be on lofty showing in the future tense .
